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Dunstonians look back: Two wartime evacuations
With September 1939’s final British Note to Hitler demanding restraint on Poland ignored, Prime Minster Neville Chamberlain was forced to admit grimly to the nation that ‘“We have received no such undertaking and, consequently this country is at war with Germany.
These words may have become familiar to later generations but for those at St Dunstan’s at the time, and their parents, they proved the signal for an immediate evacuation to Reigate and, for the College buildings at Catford, their later requisitioning by the Army as a wartime regional command centre.
Little respite was seemingly in sight. September 1944 saw our evacuees on a second move – from Reigate further afield to South Wales – simply compounding their long exile from Catford. Both were life-changing events for many ODs some of whom have, often years later, put pen to paper in recalling their experiences.
We give here the just some of our evacuees’ thoughts, reactions and reminiscences published in past editions of OD Notes.
Bob Rangecroft
1939 march to Forest Hill R J Coombs (’40) writing in 1996
‘I was grieved to read of the death of E V ‘Vic’ Wobschall (’43 – d. 1995). Vic and I headed the march of our form from the College to Forest Hill Station during the 1939 evacuation. Subsequently, we shared billets in Reigate until I left at the end of 1940. Post-war we often played in the same rugby and cricket teams. He was one of many good men who died last year’.
Round ball football R H ‘Reg’ Braddon (’43 – died 2015) writing in 2001
Braddon was following up earlier OD Notes items on informal soccer at St Dunstan’s and the time-honoured gibe about it being a game for gentlemen played by hooligans as opposed to rugby, a game for hooligan’s played by gentlemen.
‘We certainly played soccer at Reigate in the early days of the evacuation including, I think, the odd formal match, so it obviously had official blessing at the time. I recall A J V ‘Arthur’ George (’43) to whom I sat next in classes showing unsuspected prowess as a full back – perhaps gained from watching techniques at The Valley which, it seems, he used to do frequently. For my part as a natural ball-player, I fluctuated between goalkeeper and outside left!
‘Another couple of other points in the last edition of the Notes reminded me of Reigate days. I noticed a mention of P R ‘Peter’ Porter-Smith (’41 – d 1941). We were in the same form and the same billet (and, I seem to recall, bed) in South Park, Reigate, for a few weeks at the beginning of the War. The elderly house-owners, the Landmarks, soon tired of us and we were billeted elsewhere – in the early days one tended to be moved around quite a lot.
‘My final billet was with form-mates Brian Cannon – he visited us out of the blue a few years ago when we lived in St Albans - and C J C ‘Cliff’ Angel (’40) who returned home from Reigate after a few months and whose death in 2000 was also reported in the last Notes.
‘Another form-mate, R P ‘Reg’ Wellsman (’43), joined Brian and me in the very large house owned by Mr & Mrs Ledger in a fashionable part of Reigate where I stayed until I left school in 1943’.
At home with the Lancasters T A ‘Tony’ Riddle (’42 – died 2005) writing in 2002
Riddle was prompted to write by a muchdelayed notice in the Spring Notes of the death of F M ‘Felix’ Arscott (’40), Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics at the University of Manitoba in Canada in 1996.
‘On arrival in Reigate we two were the last to be billeted and spent the first night in a semi-detached house in a road I cannot now remember. The following morning’s walk to explore our new surroundings was interrupted by sirens and, on returning to our billet, we were met outside and told to collect the few belongings we had been allowed to bring from home.
‘No-one seemed to know what to do with us but after an hour or two we were taken off to a very nice detached Victorian house in Evesham Road, the home of the Lancasters – he the Town Clerk of Reigate and Chief Civil Defence Officer and responsible for billeting. They had taken
“War has been declared and for someone of my age it did not
us in as all known billets had been filled. ‘I later learned that our first landlady had had a nervous breakdown at the sound of the sirens – we never saw her again. immediately strike as alarming. “ ‘At the Lancasters we were well looked after and shared a large bedroom. Nonschool mornings were spent filling sandbags, building blast walls and digging air-raid shelters behind Reigate Grammar School.
‘We shared the school – they had it in the morning and we the afternoon. Lunches and school certificate exams were taken on card tables at the local Parish Hall, regardless of air-raids.
‘After exams, Felix left SC and I was alone in the billet until I left to join the Army in 1942. Since then I have had no further contact with him and often wondered where he had got to and what he was doing.’
Hillside Terrace, Ystrad Mynach J H G ‘John’ Cook (’46) writing in 2004
‘I was reminded of evacuation to South Wales by the recollections of F W ‘Fred’ Hankins (’48) in the last Notes. Most of my form were billeted in Ystrad Mynach, a mining village some five miles from Caerphilly – we went to school every day by train. Several of us were foisted on the unfortunate inhabitants of a modest row of houses in Hillside Terrace.
‘At No 1 was L V ‘Leslie’ Hewitt (‘47) (‘Beef’) and next door E V ‘Eric’ Vines (‘47 – died 2001) (‘Vinegar’). They were inseparable, both at school and when they went up to read English at the same Cambridge college. In later years I met Eric
when he had been HM Ambassador to Mozambique and later Uruguay’.
‘Hewitt’, says Cook, ‘was later billeted on a lady with a sideline preparing bodies for burial. Corpses were brought to the house and laid out in the parlour where the lady did the necessary. Hewitt was mercifully allowed to do his prep in another room!
‘At No 2 Hillside Terrace was J S Nettleton (‘Nettlerash’), already an accomplished actor who went on to RADA and to play innumerable stage and TV roles.
‘P J Dunmore and I were at No 3, D R M ‘Denis’ Tune (’47) was at No 4 and I think P F ‘Peter’ Geliot (’45) was at No 5. Geliot’s brother, M ‘Michael’ (’43 – died 2012) later rose to become Director of the Welsh National Opera and, when he started in that post, went back to stay at his old Welsh digs for a time.’
Cook adds that there were ‘some splendidly named boys in our year, among them Michael St John Bartholomew Logan Scott (’46) and Denis Redfern MacDowell Tune (as above). Nicknames abounded – A R ‘Ronald’ Walker (’46) was ‘Sid’, G C ‘Geoff’ Cowperthwaite (’42) ‘Cow’, M J ‘Maurice’ de St Croix (’43) ‘Santy’ and the young Strong was, perhaps inevitably, ‘Atlas.’
In tune with Denis F W ‘Fred’ Hankins (’48 – died 2007) writing in 2004
‘D R M ‘Denis’ Tune (’47) was a year ahead of me and, owing to the separation of Middle and Senior School at Reigate we were not to meet until re-evacuation to Wales.
‘Then the babe of the 1st XI led by M ‘Maurice’ Bulpitt (’45 – died 2007), I played cricket for the summer of 1945 with Denis. It was a good side deserving better opposition than the Welsh schools provided. Christ College apart – they were our only conquerors!
Health and Safety J H G ‘John’ Cook (’46) again writing in 2004
Schoolmaster ‘Nobby’ Clark was, it seems, in a league of his own on health and safety matters during evacuation at Reigate as Cook explained.
‘Mr Clark was sometimes driven to resort to a form of physical punishment that I imagine today would have ended up in court. He would suddenly be triggered by persistent misbehaviour from a boy by throwing him out of the window, followed by his books and all his possessions!
‘This did seem to have the desired effect of subduing the rest of us for a while but it did no good to the flowerbeds. Perhaps it was for this propensity that Mr Clark was always programmed to teach in a room on the ground floor at Isbells’.
Straight to Wales D C ‘Derek’ Childs (‘52 – died 2019) writing in 2005
Childs did not join SDC until September 1944 when the Lower School was being re-evacuated to Penarth and the Upper School to Caerphilly, so his first memories were of ‘boys gathering outside the College ready to board those old doubledecker buses with the outside stairs bound for Paddington. Of course, nobody knew anyone else, so it was probably a sad occasion saying goodbye to one’s parents, though I don’t remember any “ tearful farewell myself – only the later homesickness’.
‘On arrival in Penarth, we must have gone to a sorting point for onward delivery to our individual addresses. This was something of a lottery and there is no doubt that many boys were billeted in homes of a greater or lesser degree of social care than that in which they had been brought up. It was said some billetors took pity on us because they thought we were from the blind school while others may have seen us as a means of supplementary income! ‘Some boys never had it so good – I was assigned to the other end of the scale. Without in any way detracting from the kindness of Mrs Young of 32 Glebe Street, just down from Penarth Docks, I have to say the next 10 months were about the unhappiest of my life. But, looking back, I was simply too young to understand the different circumstances in which I found myself one Wilfred Casebow was my fellow Dunstonian lodger and it would be interesting now to compare notes with him.
‘No 32 was a small house in a long terrace fronting directly onto the pavement. There was a small yard at the back where the outside lavatory was, and where a metal bath hung on the wall. Approximately once a week the bath was brought into the kitchen for Wilfred and I to share the water, heated in buckets on the open kitchen fire.
‘Mrs Young was a widow living with a 16-year-old daughter and an elderly uncle; her younger son was killed on the Rhine Crossing while I was there. The daughter worked in a shop down the road and the uncle did nothing, though he, perhaps, provided some financial assistance. He spent most of each day at the Albion Tavern a few yards down the road and, when at home, sat in an old armchair next to the coal-fired range, frequently swigging from a flagon bottle of beer kept under his seat.
can see him to this day frequently spitting into the fire from his chair. Any item which he found indigestible was similarly dispatched. How unfair, too, that Wilfred was given Ovaltine tablets but I wasn’t! severely undernourished (as early school photos show). ‘Looking back, I now see my time in Penarth as part of my education, somewhat painful, bound for Paddington station. “ ‘We used to walk to the school, comfortable circumstances. In a strange established in an old nunnery at the other way I’m glad I didn’t miss it.’ end of Penarth: Llandarf House, Earl Road. Sometimes we went through the back A female perspective alleys to avoid the local boys of Penarth S G ‘Stan’ Tame (‘51 – died 2008) County, some of whom used to throw writing in 2005 stones at us – that stopped after the SDC Tame produced more evacuation memories 1st XV came down from Caerphilly and from an unlikely source Reigate County beat them 63-0! School at War 1939-45, a collection of ‘All that said, I have some good memories, by Geraldine Foy and published in late too: the occasional lunch at the 2004. government-subsidised British restaurant where you paid for each course with ‘Among extracts from her report of 6 different coloured tokens; Mr Early taught February 1940, the Head Mistress of me to swim at the public baths opposite Honor Oak School (then evacuated the pier; we had deep snow – when I was to share the County School premises) quite badly hurt by a toboggan; we played draws a favourable picture of our College on the beach and went over to Sully evacuees. Island at low tide; I didn’t do too badly but helpful in understanding less socially their girls’ wartime reminiscences edited at lessons – certificates show that I was ‘Each week the boys of St Dunstan’s from top of Form 1B for one term, even first Catford and the girls of Honor Oak meet in Latin – something of a false dawn as at Reigate Parish Church for a special it turned out; and, finally, I remember my short service planned on purpose for them first post- War ice cream at Forte’s café on by a joint committee of Church of England the promenade. Clergy and Free Churchmen. The boys and girls help with the arrangements and ‘I returned home one month early, quite take turns in reading the lesson. They also provide the choir.’ The 1940 Honor Oak School Magazine later confirmed that this arrangement was continuing successfully.
‘Later, the Reigate County girls were to find themselves in South Wales. One observation from their 1943/44 Magazine will chime with the SDC experience: “Little did we dream that, with evacuees, we ourselves would be evacuated. But we took a last look at the school and went into what was then the unknown. We are now in villages – Aberkenfig, Tondu, Llangynwyd, Cwnfein, Penyfai – none being pronounced as they look”!
‘Other comments from the wartime Magazine include: “We have been reading Twelfth Night in English and we cannot help wondering how Malvolio would sound declaring, “Tis but fortune” in a gas mask”.
‘Elsewhere, we learn that the girls “were issued with iron rations – a packet of nuts and raisins and a small bar of chocolate, not to be eaten until necessary. We kept them in our gas mask cases but it wasn’t long before they all disappeared!”
‘And, finally, “This term Miss Miller acted as deputy for Miss Lewis who had German Measles. This was very unpatriotic of Miss Lewis”.’
Making your bed D S ‘Doug’ Ford (’46) writing in 2005
Ford thought that he might enhance his own recollections and possibly stir happy memories in others. ‘I had already been evacuated to Redhill with my primary school and joined SDC at the end of 1941, so it only meant changing my “billet” to be closer to school which was split into three sections owing to the accommodation problem’
‘The first couple of years in the Junior School at Dovers were under “Sheeny” Shinwell. We played soccer then in the appropriate term under the tutelage of Johnny Lockton who had been a member of the leading pre-War English amateur club, the Corinthian Casuals. In the classroom, he always had a piece of chalk in hand, thrown at any boy thought not paying attention!
‘Lunch was provided in a church hall canteen about midway between South Park and Reigate town. It was quite a trek there and back for 12-13 year olds and I can remember thinking that it was somewhat unfair to collect payment for these meals from our “billetors” who, after all, were paid only 10/6d (52p) a week by the government for our board and lodging. ‘On graduating to the Middle School, we transferred to Cabalva in Reigate itself where the sports were rugby, cricket and athletics/cross-country.
‘The Senior School was housed in Isbells, a very grand old house in Cockshott Hill at the end of a steep drive running up from the road, opposite a large quarry. Rugby was played on a field kindly loaned by Crusader Insurance which had its HQ next to the house.
‘I never made the second transition (from the Middle into the Senior School at Reigate) – we were all re-evacuated to South Wales. There we shared Caerphilly High School with local pupils but were billeted in various surrounding mining villages.
‘John Cook mentioned Ystrad Mynach (OD Notes Autumn 2004) but for most of the time I lived in Llanbradach and recall spending some time in a hostel in Sengendydd “just up the valley.”
‘Two things stand out in my mind from this period, the first being that, despite the intimidating impression of Welsh
invincibility at rugby, our school teams enjoyed one of their most successful seasons ever in Caerphilly.
‘The second is a little cameo related by a good friend of mine at the time, P A P ‘Pat’ Cordell whom I have not seen for many, many years although we both played for the ODRFC in the 50s. Pat was greeted on arrival by his hostess and told “come upstairs and I will show you your room – Huw (or whoever) is just making your bed”. ‘And, indeed, there was the husband, toolkit on the floor, literally making a bed for him!’
Harvest Camp 1943, Lambourn D A ‘David’ Matthews (’44) writing in 2005
Left to right – Back Row: Johnson, M M Davies, Billington, Butler, Bulpitt, Cruse, Peck, Corney.
Middle Row: Evans J, ?, Caston, Goodfellow, Bingham, Evans D, Read, Coleman, Fry, Smith, Cusack, D A ‘Nobby’ Clarke, George, Self, Matthews, Rush, Kinnear, French, Roberts, Jenkins.
Front Row: Waters, Greenaway, Bosworth, ?, Elkins, Baker, Beecham, Newton, “Noblet”, Brown.
This Lambourn photo comes courtesy of Matthews (one of those pictured) who ‘could not recall every name though some are hovering in the empty spaces at the back of my mind or swimming in the lower depths – whatever image is appropriate!’
The group were assembled outside the C of E School in Lambourn where, says Matthews, ‘we all slept on the hall floor on straw-filled paliasses. I am intrigued by the variety of dress, from formal – a
The week before the war started my brother and “ I were filling
pre-Episcopal D E ‘David’ Jenkins (’43 – d 2016)) (in later life Bishop of Durham) in double-breasted suit to the more or less agricultural (Evans J – far left).’ way from time to time but none quite so curious as one unearthed by Holt, albeit as a photocopy not an original document. A rather formal booklet apparently sandbags at the school in Catford. “ ‘Who took the photograph? Possibly author, it charts the development of plans Baxter, Jenkins’ chum, with whom I for evacuation to Reigate from the Munich cycled together with Jenkins over the crisis of 1938 through to the move in late hills to Wantage for a Service for school August and early September 1939 and harvesters, sermon by the Bishop describes events on to close to the end of of Oxford which his future Durham the year. counterpart pronounced “pedestrian”!’ ‘My subsequent visits in recent time to it is now an old people’s home. C’est la vie’. published in 1940 but with no identified A day-to-day diary of events and standing A great adventure orders for staff and pupils details the P C ‘Peter’ Lawrence (’50 – died 2008) almost military planning which went writing in 2005 into the move itself, the larger part of Lawrence wrote as one who joined the booklet being given over to a more the College in 1943 during evacuation or less verbatim report of happenings in at Reigate. He later experienced rethe days immediately following arrival evacuation to Wales ‘at a time when my in Reigate. That it manages to do so parents had just survived a direct hit on without a single mention of names – our house by a V1. Despite the initial either of masters, other staff, or pupils, anguish, I enjoyed life at the School – it the sole exception being Headmaster was a great adventure’. Hecker – makes the publication all the Wales to search out old haunts dismayed Holt explains the background which led to me. So much had changed. I prefer to him receiving the material. ‘An old friend remember it as it was in the 1940s. of mine delivers copies of a newsletter However, I recently went to watch my to members of the Reigate Society, one grandson playing rugby for Eltham College of those on his “round” being a Mr Sean against Reigate Grammar School whose Hawkins, now retired from owning ground is directly opposite Dovers where the Reigate Bookshop which provided it all started over 60 years ago. No longer SDC with books during and after the can you hear the voices of young boys for evacuation.’ more strange a read. ‘Coincidentally, my friend’s cousin, Ken An odd College booklet Johnson (now living in Otford) was a boy S ‘Stan’ Holt (’55) writing in 2011 at SDC and took part in the evacuation, Various SDC-related items come our later leaving school before the subsequent move to Wales. I have sent him a copy of the booklet and he has agreed to furnish as much more information (especially names) as he can remember. Will forward any more news when I get it!’
So our thanks to Holt and the Reigate Society for their efforts and, meanwhile, a copy of the booklet will be on its way to the SDC archivist for safe keeping just in case no original printed version has ever found its way into the College collection.
From sandbags to the fish shop P M ‘Peter’ Moyles (’45) writing in 2013
Moyles was recalling the years before his departure for Canada in 1966. ‘The week before WW2 started my brother C A E ‘Conrad’ (’42 – d 2013) and I, with other College boys, were filling sandbags at the school in Catford. By 2 September, we had been evacuated to Reigate and billeted over MacFisheries fish shop!
‘We were supposed to help our billetors, so Conrad would deliver fish and chicken to Reigate Hill Hotel on a Saturday to the kitchen door and on Sunday eat the chicken in the Hotel dining room with our father who had driven down from London for the day!
‘He won 1st XV colours for Rugby in 1942 and was Drum Major 1941-42 and then CSM for the Autumn term in 1942. Among his duties at that time was blowing the Last Post on the bugle at the Reigate War Memorial on Remembrance Day, 11 November, in 1941 and 1942.
‘Earlier, in 1940, he and many other SDC schoolboys joined the LDV, later the Home Guard, in Reigate. On leaving school, he transferred to the Forest Hill Company – he had wanted to go into the regular Army but due to boyhood mastoid problems, was not physically accepted, a fact which I think he never got over’.
Not a time for lasting friendships F ‘Frank’ Symons (’40) writing in 2017
Recalling his experience of evacuation to Reigate, Symons reflected that, for him, ‘it was not the time to forge any lasting friendships, and neither were enquiries made of our welfare during and after the war by our hosts – but we should be grateful for their shelter.
‘War has been declared, or will be in a couple of days, and for someone of my age it did not immediately strike as alarming. Not even the prospect of being “evacuated”. We had had gas masks issued some time before – they had been tried (but not tested!) and were now carried everywhere.
‘But, of course, we young people had absolutely no idea of the fear that it must have caused the older person, such as my mother, who had lived through the terrible effects of WW1 and my father who had served in it, now faced with a second World War, within 20 years.
have been received at home that I was to attend school for onward transmission. So we assembled, I guess in the school playground, and marched down the road to Catford Bridge station. have girls! So two of us were taken in by the Head Gardener and his wife in the adjoining lodge. This was built over what had been stables but now housed the Chairman’s car. Surprise, surprise, we found that the French master, his wife and goodbye to their boys. “ ‘We boarded a train (electric, not steam) to her sister, would be joining us until they “we knew not where”, but eventually found found an alternative home, so weren’t we ourselves at Reigate about 25 miles from all a jolly bunch! home. On arrival there, buses took us to a restaurant/cafe serving as a dispersal point ‘Eventually, school working was organised at the top of Reigate Hill. I do not know how – by sharing time and space with the allocations were made, but I was one of a local Reigate Grammar School – and bundle of five, who were then taken to our most normal activities were pursued, billets – in our case Brokes Lodge. including the OTC, some of which joined ‘This happened to be a very large house, As Reigate was supposed to be “safe” we in grounds of something like six or seven were surprised one night to hear one or acres, owned by the then Chairman of the two bombs falling nearby, at least one of Port of London Authority. The house staff which failed to explode. numbered a cook, and three or four maids; in the duties of the local Home Guard. the outside staff Head Gardener, Under ‘Our resident French master came up Gardener, and a chauffeur. with the idea that we should go and look for it – so out we went, in the dark, ‘The main part of the house was occupied to cover the approximately 20 acres, by the owner obviously, and by his two in search of a hole hiding a UXB!! On spinster sisters, and it was made clear finding it, we should put up our hands that we boys were not to use the formal and shout “Found it” or “Housey”, or part of the house and so not clash with something like that. Obviously, had it the owners, nor were we to use the main exploded during our search, the hole staircase, but to get up to our floor, we would have been far easier to locate – should use the back stairs. even if we weren’t! There is more...our immediate futures were decided for ‘Room was provided on the top floor (of us – but that’s another story – and we three) to sleep three boys – and I should were eventually dispersed, presumably mention that the owners had hoped to militarily’.
Spotlight - ‘Reg’ Caygill (’41)
A bout of nostalgia
‘I am reaching the point of no return: I suffer from nostalgia. One of my memories is my “ time at College followed by membership of the OD Association. ‘Having lived abroad for a considerable period of time, I lost contact with almost all my UK friends and would appreciate it if you could send me just one copy of your latest magazine. I am probably one of the oldest members – now 92 – and it would be nice to see the progression time has made to St Dunstan’s and the Association. ‘I was initially evacuated to Reigate with the school where I stayed until around 1942 when I rejoined my family. I joined the Association as a Life Member and enjoyed many years at Beckenham particularly with the Golf section becoming a Captain one year and getting my name on the Player of the Year plate another. I was also a member of the OD Lodge. I left everything around 1976 by moving abroad and assume that my name must have been deleted a long time ago.
‘I am afraid I only record things like the changes made by the sad but brave faces by which the parents hid the sadness of saying goodbye to their boys. I think the boys were looking on the situation as an adventure and they were yet to reach the brink of many changes.
‘Small stuff really...like most of us were billeted in Reigate although our new school was situated in Redhill. The enjoyment of the to-and-fro transport gave us the opportunity to put the world to rights whilst in transit. The school was very OK as schools go and although adequate it was nothing like the College we had left behind. There could never be a match anyway.
ODs in Service during WW2
Around 1,400 ODs served in the Armed Services and the Merchant Navy. There were ODs in some 80 regiments in WW2, by far the greatest number – 214 – in the Royal Artillery. By August 1945, 123 ODs had been either killed in action or died on active service, four civilian ODs had died at sea or in air-raids, and three pupils had been killed in an air-raid at and three pupils had been killed in an aid raid at Reigate during the College’s first wartime evacuation.
The names of those lost, including those of the three boys, are commemorated in the College War Memorial on the face of the balcony in the Great Hall at Catford. No other record exists of ODs killed in UK air-raids but the search still continues on identifying others lost at home in WW2. ODs served in every theatre of war – from the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, D-Day and the final push into Germany, to the desert war in North Africa, the Atlantic & Russian convoys, and action in India, Burma and the Far East.
More than 50 ODs, among them WW1 veterans, were living and working abroad in 1939 and enlisted in Dominion and Colonial military services in Africa, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, New Zealand and, notably, India.
91st Field Regiment RA
In 1937, the Government decided to expand the UK’s Territorial Army by doubling the size of certain TA units. The 91st Field Regiment was one. A second line regiment was formed by transferring two Batteries to the 91st Field to form 139 Field Regiment and both brought up to strength by recruitment.
OD Major W ‘Bill’ Buffey (’16 – d 1984) was the officer commanding the 91st Field. His brother L M ‘Len’ (’21 – d 1996) commanded B Troop with I C ‘Ivor’ Pickance (’24 – d 1959) – both played OD rugby and recruited no less than 60 Club members to form 8 Troop.
The 91st was one of the first TA regiments to go to France in October 1939 – 139 followed in January 1940. Both units were fully engaged in France, suffering casualties but making it back from Dunkirk, and were then kept in England until the threat of invasion passed.
The 91st subsequently served in India and Italy, completing its war in Europe. 139th was sent to India and Burma, suffering severe casualties and much sickness in the latter campaign, and was disbanded on its return to England. was that one could only indulge in the
familiar with the game of rugby and we very quickly converted to football. We surprised them sometimes when we decided to pick the ball up and run. Not really – but at first it was strange to get used to.
‘It is difficult to reminisce after nearly 80 years when for the duration nothing greatly had changed. The one thing noone ever seems to have mentioned was was lucky to avoid being shot as dawn
the kind people who adopted us and treated us as part of their family.
‘Being a lucky one I was billeted with a Dr got a lot of attention. I recall two things which were not particularly pleasant. Dr Pool was lovely man but had this fixation in connection with healthy eating. At virtually every dinner time dishes of tapioca pudding, or sometime Sago pudding had pride of place on the table. There was a more promising dish than the others – College Pudding and custard – a delight. The only snag college pudding after having a dish of the – do you mind if I don’t mention their names again?
‘Another thing which I found humiliating was that I caught GERMAN measles. I Pool [how about that] and his wife so we
but to have a doctor on hand.
‘One good thing happened. I fell in love with the girl next door Esther Legge. Well, I was coming up 14 and anyway, didn’t last’.
